Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-10-02

/ cargo 10 MT. mauOCk, the JuceSC VI tuo
peace. No doubt he had arranged, or was
arranging, for the sale Of all the rest. No
doubt, too, he intended adding the pro-
ceeds of this transaction to the pile-aha!
the pile beneath the hearthstone.
I set off to run almost the whole Of the
way back to Rousdon, under the impulse
of this new idea, which filled my mind.
1t was about IL o'clock, as / should judge
1t took me nearly an hour before got to
Rousdon farm. l had business to do, and
there would be no thought Of bed for me-
that night. But first l went into the
house, found some supper, and procured
certain handy tools necessary for my pur-
pose.
Had / time to do it? 1t had taken
nearly four hours to remove the cargo Of
the Dancing Polly from the boat to the
hiding place; could do what 1 proposed
in six?
/ would try.
There certainly was no stronger girl than
myself along the whole shore. The life
/ had led in the open air-the rowing, sail
ing and fishing; the gardening, the ram
bles and climbs among the crags of the
Holmbush fields and Pinhay point; the
sea bathing, the generous but simple diet
all these, added to physique to which
dame nature had been generous, made me
active and muscular above the average
even of Young women living like myself.
Yet it was heavy task which proposed
to effect
1t was nothing less than to carry every
single key down to the sea shore, turn out
the contents, fill them with sea water and
carry them back again Fifty kegs at
least. Two hundred journeys up and
down that steep cliff, each time with a
weighty burden. But the thought of
Joshua's CONSERVATION when ne should
discover it gave me courage.
! When l had got all but six or seven
down the cliff another thought struck me.
There were the two kegs for my inform
ant, John Beer. 1t would not be fair to
give him sea water, after the service he
had done. There was also the poor old
rector. What would he do without his
brandy?,and unless provided for him, he
he would get none till Dan and the boys
came home again. So removed the last
six, and carried them away to place
where | was pretty certain Joshua would
not think of looking for them. And then
| proceeded TO the next part of my task.
The kegs were now all in row upon
the beach, lying on their sides. / went
from o1e to the other, and with my ham,
mer and chisel forced out the bung from
every one. In few. minutes the smooth
water of the little bay was salt water
brandy grog, rather weak, and the kegs
were empty.
To fill them again quickly was more
difficult. l had to take off shoes and
stockings, tuck mp skirts, and wade in the
water, carrying each keg separately. II
was now growing late. / must have been
at work five hours, and yet the kegs had
all to he carried back.
Well, it was done at length. The day
was breaking as the last key was laid in
its place, and the brambles pulled together
to hide them The tide had come up in
the bay, and washed away all the traces of
the brandy which had been split so freely
on the stones. ] sat down and tried to
thu soberly what had done.
X'villain was punished; the meanest,
most treacherous, most cold-blooded
scoundrelism ever perpetrated had re-
ceived some sort of fit reward. In a
few days, perhaps in a few hours, the
traitor would find his hearthstone prised
up, and his treasure gone. A few hours
more, and he would discover that his prize
from Dams unlucky run was not YOrth
the kegs which contained it.
and yet was unsatisfied. All this would
not give be back my lover, nor bring home
Dan and the boys, nor undo the misery OF
the past three weeks. ] thirsted for more
revenge.
When arose to 90 home the splendid
sun was shining over the channel, and the
morning was clear and bright Far off on
the horizon / saw the sails of a great fleet.
It must be Nelson's fleet. Among the
ships somewhere were those loved,
going away to sea to face battle, sudden
death, shipwreck, plague and pestilence,
all by the act of one man.
To BE CONTINUED.